Toy balloon



March 19, 1935. c, T TURNER 1,994,842

TOY BALLOON Filed May 24, 1934 lNVENT RZ BY Clifiion]? Ernen y ATTORNEY egg Applicatien. May at, rest, Serial No. .ln ijanada May 25, 1933 @laiirns.

The object of this invention is to provide a to; balloon structure having associated therewith a propeller means whereby the exit of air, after the balloon has been blown up, will cause the balloon to travel upwardly or in an angular direction.

A further object is to provide a propeller means for the purpose as hereinto before referred to, which propeller means may be removably attached to the balloon structure and used on other balloon structures.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, as will appear as the description proceeds, the in vention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of cooperating elements as hereinafter more specifically set forth, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing forming a part of the present application, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective assemblage view of the respective parts of the propeller attachment.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, part broken away, of the propeller structure, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inflation valve.

Figure 5 is a side elevation view of a modified embodiment of my invention, part of the balloon structure being shown as broken away.

Figure 6 illustrates one embodiment of an exhaust control valve.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

8 is a rubber balloon which may be of any desired conventional ordesign shape. 9 is an inflation valve, which preferably is formed of a tubular member 10 with a flap 11 hingedly attached in any desired manner to its inner end so that air may be blown in to inflate the balloon 8. The flap 11 will close over the inner end of the tubular member '10 and will eliminate deflation through the valve 9. I do not wish to be limited to this particular design of inflation valve as any suitable valve for such purpose will be found equally eflicient as long as the air can be blown in the balloon and held against exit return through the valve. At a suitable position on the balloon 8 an engagement member 12, having a flanged portion 14, is attached to the balloon. The flanged portion 14 is either shaped to the curvature of the balloon contour, when blown to a normal inflation, or it may be flexible. In either case the inner face of the flange 14 is adhesively or otherwise suitably attached to the outer contour of the balloon i5. .Lhe engagement member '12 has an opening therethrough, which registers with a suitable opening formed in the balloon 8. is a nipple, one end of which may be threadedly or frictionally engaged interiorly of the engagement member 12. The opposite end of the nipple 15 is bifurcated, as at 16, and provided with an annular groove, as at 17. 18 is a pair of hollow propeller blades mounted on a hub 19, which is. also hollow and permitting communication of air'therethrough to the interior of the blades 18. lhe hub is provided with an annular interior rib, as at 20, which will engage in the groove, as at 17, when the hub 19 is pressed over the outer end of the nipple 15. When thus connected, the propeller 18l9 may be rotated relative to the nipple 15 but will be normally held against longitudinal movement therefrom. Each propeller blade 18 is provided with an exhaust opening 21 near its outer end, which openings are formed relative to each other in such a manner as to impart a rotary motion to the blades when air from the inflated balloon 8 is exhausted through the engagement member 12, nipple 15, hub 19, propeller blades 18 and through exhaust openings 21.

Referring to the modified view of my invention shown in Figure 5, 8a is the balloon having suitable openings formed therein communicating with the neck 22a preferably formed integral thereto. 18a19a is the propeller of a similar structure to that of the .propellerherebefore described.

15a is a communicating nipple preferably integral with the propeller 18a and 19a. It is provided with an annular groove as at 17a. The outer end of the neck 22a is provided with an inwardly projecting ridge 20adesigned to engage in the annular groove formed as at 17a. In the structure disclosed in the modified view, Figure 5, the propeller when rotated carries with it and concurrently rotates the balloon 8a, while in the struc-' ture hereinbefore described the propeller is rotated without necessarily rotating the balloon.

Either form of my propeller attachment may be removed from the balloon, in case the balloon bursts, and may be attached to a new balloon. If desired, the propeller structure may be formed as an integral part of the balloon.

In Figure 6, I disclose one embodiment of a structure forprohibiting the exhaust of air while said balloon is being inflated, 23 is an exhaust plunger designed to plug the communicating opening to the interior of the hub 19 or 19a. This plunger is carried on the inner end of the valve pin 24, which is reciprocally carried in the outer end of the hub 19 or 19a. By pressing the outer end of the pin 24, the plunger will temporarily close the intake communicating opening to the hub 19. When the balloon is inflated to the desired extent, pressure is removed and the air force will unseat the plunger.

The construction as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, discloses the propeller associated with what is commonly known as a round balloon. It may be attached to the long or Zeppelin shaped balloon. The balloon may be formed of rubber or of any other suitable material. If desired, the balloon may be attached to a cord or suitable frame whereby it will be suspended to permit travel in a. circular direction, when the propeller is in operation.

The foregoing specification and annexed drawing disclose the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood that minor changes may be resorted to in the commercial adaptation of my invention without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:- I

1. A toy balloon, comprising a balloon body portion; an intake valve carried by and communicating with said balloon body portion, a hollow propeller carried by and in communication with said balloon-body portion and said propeller having oppositely directed exit openings formed in its respective ends.

2. A toy balloon as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the said propeller is rotatably mounted relative to said balloon body portion.

3. A toy balloon as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the said propeller is removably mounted relative to said balloon body portion.

4. A toy balloon as claimed -in claim 1 and an exhaust control valve to temporarily prohibit the exhaust of air while said balloon body portion is being inflated.

5. In a propeller adapted to be attached to a toy balloon or the like, said propeller being of hollow formation and having oppositely directed exit openings formed in its respective ends to cause rotary propulsion thereof upon exit of air therethrough.

. CLINTON T. TURNER. 

